Linkable Networks Launches SKU-level Card-linked Offers

Following a successful pilot with Lunds and Byerly’s, Linkable Networks, the card-linked offers-based shopper marketing and loyalty platform, has made its patented SKU-level card-linked offers solution available for all retailers -- from small mom-and-pop shops to chains. The solution is available in three models: a cash-back model, a real time on-receipt model, and a model specifically designed for small and medium-sized businesses.

“This is an important step forward in the loyalty and shopper marketing industry,” said Tom Burgess, CEO of Boston-based Linkable Networks. “Today, retailers and brands are seeking digital alternatives to the old-world paper-based coupon and rebate solutions. These solutions need to be consumer friendly and simple for the retailer and brand to deploy. Meanwhile, consumers are more digitally savvy than ever and expect the retailers to stay with the times.”

Linkable Networks was developed to enable shoppers to link item-level offers from any media type to their existing credit or debit cards and redeem them in-store or online  by paying with the same card. According to the vendor, since 70 percent of advertising budgets come from consumer packaged good manufacturers for individual brand products, it’s important for both retailers and brands to better employ advertising dollars to drive sales of individual items or SKUs both in-store and online. With SKU-level card-linked offers, brands and retailers are able to track the success of each campaign for item-level products with full point-of-sale attribution from any advertising medium.

“SKU-level targeting allows the retailers and brands the ability to highly target offers which will enhance their customer centric strategy,” said Evan Anthony, retired VP of marketing for The Kroger Co., in Cincinnati and founder and CMO of Masterpiece USA. “With the multi generations shopping stores today, retailers and brands want and need the ability to provide single SKU-level targeting, which can enhance their go-to-market strategy.”

Linkable Networks provides four different types of SKU-level card-linked offers for product purchases at retail: 

• Departmental discounts: e.g., take 50 percent off all shoes at a department store
• Bundle discounts: e.g., buy a bag of chips, get a free jar of salsa
• Single item discounts: e.g., save 50 cents when you buy a 2-liter bottle of soda
• Multi-store direct brand loyalty discounts: e.g., get 20 percent off a brand when you shop at any participating retailer

Through Linkable Networks’ shopper marketing and loyalty platform, retailers and CPGs benefit from the ability to launch various types of promotions across all media types, API connections and SKU-level campaigns are supported, and there's no need for point-of-sale integration. Loyalty incentives and card-linked offers encourage an increase of consumer activity and, on average, an increase in basket size.